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Thursday, February 02, 2012

Slow Cooker Recipe for Beef and Refried Bean Chili with Salsa and Lime

A slightly-spicy Phase One Chili with beef, two kinds of beans, refried beans, salsa, and lime juice

I made this tasty chili several weeks ago and then today I realized that if anyone wanted to make this easy slow-cooker chili for a Superbowl party, I better get it posted. Not that there is a shortage of good chili recipes on the blog, with a few of them having made an appearance at Denny family Superbowl parties in the past! What was fun about this recipe was the way it uses a can of refried beans to thicken the chili, and also the addition of salsa. There's also a healthy amount of lime juice, and I'd serve this with slices of lime so lime lovers (like me) can squeeze even more lime into their chili!

Saute the ground beef until it's nicely browned. (You can rinse the ground beef before you put it in the slow cooker if you want to cut down on the fat.)

While the beef browns, chop the onion and mince some garlic; then saute the onions until they're starting to brown, the add the garlic and saute a minute or two more.

Add the chili powder, Ancho chili powder, ground cumin, and Mexican oregano and saute the spices for a couple of minutes and then add to the slow cooker.

Rinse the beans with cold water until no more foam appears.

Add the beans and salsa to the slow cooker. Then add the refried beans and beef broth to the pan you sauteed the spices in and whisk until the beans are mixed with the broth, then add it to the slow cooker. (Blogger error; forgot to take a photo of that step!)

Cook the chili for 6-8 hours on low. After about 4 hours check to see if you want to add a tiny bit of water. When chili is done, stir in the lime juice and serve hot.

Heat two tsp. olive oil in a large heavy frying pan; add the ground beef and saute about 10 minutes or until beef is well-browned, breaking it apart with the turner as it cooks. Remove beef and place in slow cooker. (You can rinse the browned meat in a fine strainer with hot water before you put it in the slow cooker if you want to remove some of the fat.)

Add the other tsp. of oil to the pan, add onions, and saute until they're starting to brown, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook a minute or two more; then add the chili powder, ground Ancho chili pepper, ground cumin, and Mexican oregano and saute about 2 more minutes. Scrape the onions and spices into the slow cooker, along with the salsa.

Dump both cans of beans into a colander placed in the sink and rinse with cold water until no more foam appears. Let beans drain a minute while you add the beef broth and refried beans to the pan where you sauteed the onions and spices. Mix with a whisk or fork until the refried beans are well mixed into the broth; then add that to the slow cooker. Add the drained beans to the slow cooker.

Cook on low for 6-8 hours. (I would check after about 4 hours to see if you want to add a tiny bit of water; this is a fairly thick chili but some people might prefer it slightly thinner.) When chili is done, stir in the lime juice and serve hot.

This freezes well and can be reheated in a microwave or in a small pan on the stove.

This chili is loaded with low-glycemic ingredients which are approved for all phases of the South Beach Diet. However, dried beans are limited for Phase One to 1/3 to 1/2 cup serving. Of course the chili has other ingredients besides beans, but I would limit myself to a small serving of this for Phase One.

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Enticing, enticing slow cooker recipes. What's a more classic use than CHILI? (Obviously one of my all time faves.) I love the flavor combos you use here - in all this time, I don't think I've ever added lime and I have no idea why it never occurred. Can't wait to give it a shot!

Kalyn, while reading the comments, I saw the reply where you mention "skipped the beer". I assume you replaced it with the beef broth. Was the beer in the original recipe the same amount, or did you change that, too? I really want to make this recipe, but I'd like to try it using beer. I know it's not SBD, but in this case, I'm not worried about that. Thanks so much.

I'm a Texan, and I take great pride in my chili making abilities. However, this chili blows mine out of the water! The refried beans are a great addition and really make the soup feel rich. We had this last night during the Super Bowl, and it was a perfect choice. Highly recommended!

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